skin and bones

phrase

variants or skin and bone
informal
: very thin in a way that is unattractive and unhealthy
After the illness, he was skin and bones.
The starving dog was nothing but skin and bones.

Examples of skin and bones in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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While the cells failed to differentiate into new skin and bone, the change demonstrated that the regenerating process didn’t necessarily hit a dead end in mammals. — Mike McRae 28, New Atlas, 28 June 2026 The group grew physically weak, wasting away until there was little left of their corporeal selves but skin and bones. — Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 Remove meat from legs; discard skin and bones. — Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026 Emma went from this vibrant 21-year-old to someone who was 80 pounds, skin and bone. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for skin and bones

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Cite this Entry

“Skin and bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skin%20and%20bones. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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